Distributing spout



Nov. 5, 1968 E. c. SOCHA DISTRIBUTING SPOUT Filed Oct. 11, 1965 INVENTOR. EMIL C. SOCHA %(39 United States Patent 1 O 3,409,1 7 I DISTRIBUTING SPOUT A i Emil C. Socha, 3145 N. 47th Ave., f' Omaha, Nebr. 68104 Filed Oct. 11, 1965, Ser.'N0.' 494,730 6 Claims. (Cl. 222-459 This invention relates to a distributing spout for granular material comprising a tubecontaining bafiles disposed on opposite sides of the interior thereof with outer edges adjacent the sides of the tube and inner edges ad- 'jacent each other, 'the' baflles'inclining and criss-cro'ssing and directing flow of grain.

In the prior art when grain is delivered into grain cars through aside door, it is'done with the spout'that divides the How from a single tube into two separate tubes or nozzles, and consequently the width of the spout becomes so great that it could not be used except through the large openings at the side of'a grain car and it would be impossible to insert such a spout through the small openings at the tops of those types of grain cars called hopper cars. Consequently when grain is delivered into the small top opening of a hopper car, this mustbe done with an ordinary tubular spout Without any flow division. This means that the grain will only fall directly downwardly as'-it is common to put the spout in place and leave it there without directing it manually and the opening is too small and the labor cost too great to have a laborer direct the nozzle in various directions. The grain falling straight downwardly into a hopper car causes an excessive concentration of the morefine particles of the grain in the space directly below the spout, with the larger particles tending to flow farther outward.

"The finer particles tend to'form a more condensed mass in which air cannot gain access as easily, whe reby there is extensive rotting directly below a conventional hopper 'car' servicing spout. Few things are as expensive as this 'rotting'.

A further factor tending to increase therotting is that dirt particles are themselves small and tend also to group themselves in the same place with the grain finer particles directly beneath the conventional spout.

Since as long ago as the second World War, grain hopper cars have been in use on a railroad, and no solution has been found to prevent this rotting in the collection of fines beneath the spout. The material falls into rings lower part of the car is being .filled so that those of the carswhich have laterally spaced multiple openings also have fines disposed beneath openings that had not even been used for insertion ofmaterial. As a result, when testing probes are deeply inserted through these latter access openings, they tend to be inserted right into the area where the foreign matter and fines are, since the access openings are commonly centrally disposed between the sides of the grain car. 1

When a testing probe proves that the grain. in a car contains a high percentage of fines, then the car receives a lower grade rating and brings a much lower price.

This lower price means great loss of revenue. This lost revenue may be unfair since the total quality of the grain in the car may be quite high for the high percentage of large grain particles. But nevertheless, if it is the finer particles that are under the probing openings, then the car load will be down graded for a lower price.

Through the years no solution for this hopper car 3,409,187 Patented Nov. 5, 1968 problem has been found audit is an object of this invention to provide'a distributing spout as described which has the unique characteristicof being able' to actually divide the flow without increasing the diameter of the deliveryspout. Although a two-headed spout of the type used fordelivery through the large side doors of a conventional grain car would not fit into the small openings at the top of hopper cars, yet my spout, having a uniformity of outside dimensions will pass through the delivery holes in the top of a hopper car and will'very effectively spread the flow in each of two opposite directions.

1 A further object is to provide my spout with a'funn'el for effectively directing the flow toward the'criss cross baffles at the center of the housing so that flow coming with greater concentration down one side of a delivery tube toward the nozzle is directed first by the funnel toward'the center of the nozzle so that the baffles can'have an equal dividing effect, delivering to each side equally.

In the prior art I have found no 'deliveryspouts of this construction nor for this purpose, although various bafile arrangements are to be found in bins for mixing purposes in various fields.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, drawings and claims, the scope of the invention not being limited to the drawings themselves as the drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating a way in which the principles of this invention can be applied.

Other embodiments of the invention utilizing the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural Changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the pouring spout of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a bottom invention.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 55- of FIGURE 2. t

The distributing spout of this invention is generally indicated at 10 and has an outer tubular housing 12 which is preferably cylindrical. The housing 12 has an entry end 14 and an exit end 16.

In the upper end of the housing 12 is a funnel 20 having a large inlet opening 26 and a constricted exit opening 28, the exit opening facing toward the exit 16 and toward the center of the housing, as best seen in FIGURE l, for directing grain directly toward a pair of elongated baffles 30 and 40, which latter extend transversely of each other and transversely of the housing 12 and are disposed alongside each other, preferably with their inner edges 44 and 46 lapping each other as seen lengthwise of the housing, as best seen in FIGURE 4.

That portion of each baflle which is opposite the plan view of the spout of this .1 lower end of the housing, or in another sense, adjacent As best seen in FIGURE 2, lowermost ends of the bafiles and are shown at 94 extending beyond the lower end 84 of the housing 12.

The inner edge 44 or 46 of each baffle terminates a sufficient distance from the adjacent side of the housing to allow substantial flow from the inlet 14 to be deflected by the other baffie.

The lower ends of each baffie must extend downwardly in the housing at least substantially to the lower end of the tubular housing for substantially and effectively distributing grain out of the housing in two flow paths each of which is inclined with respect to the vertical and the horizontal and each of which extends downwardly out of the housing and partially horizontally away from the respective outer side of the housing in a path continuous with the angle of inclination of the respective baflle from which it was delivered, or in other words, in alignment with the upper side of that baffle.

Each baffle preferably has a notch or 102 in its innermost edge and extending normally to such edge and those portions of each baffle which are disposed along the inner edge thereof on the opposite sides of the respective notch 100 and 102 are caused to lap each other, as seen in bottom plan view in FIGURE 4, with the innermost ends and of the notches 100 and 102 disposed closely adjacent each other.

The outer edges of the baffles 30 and 40 are preferably curved and are seen at 120' and 122 in FIGURE 4 to be disposed tightly against the innerside of the housing so that substantially no material can pass therebetween.

The baffles 30 and 40 can be secured to the housing by an suitable means such as welding at 150.

The funnel 20 has a large upper entry end facing the upper end of the tubular housing 12 and a constricted lower end centrally disposed in the tubular housing 12 and facing the bafiles 30 and 40. The lower end of the funnel 20 is disposed sufficiently close to the baffies 30 and 40 for effectively directing flow toward the baffles 30 and 40 at a horizontal center of the housing.

The lower end of the funnel 20 is further defined as disposed a substantial distance above the point of the criss-crossing of the baffles to allow grain to be substantially directed by portions of the bafiles which are above the criss-cross point.

As thus described it will be seen that this invention has fulfilled the objectives above set forth in that flow concentrated toward the center of the housing 1 2 by the funnel 20 will strike the bafiles and go in divergent directions for wide distribution.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a distributing spout constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use, by reason of the convenience and facility with Which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention can be changed and modified without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

I claim:

1. A distributing spout for granular material having in combination a tubular housing having an upper entry end and a lower outlet end, a pair of elongated baffles disposed alongside each other in said housing, said baffles being disposed on opposite sides of said housing whereby said baffles have inner edges adjacent each other and have outer edges adjacent said housing, said bafiles extending inclinedly with respect to the vertical and horizontal and transversely of each other, said baffies crisscrossing at a point as seen in a vertical section taken through said spout, means attaching each of said bafiles to said housing, said baffies each extending horizontally substantially less than completely across said housing to allow substantial flow from said inlet to be deflected by the other bafile, that portion of each baffle which is at the same horizontal level with the lower end of said housing being spaced from the lower end of said housing sufficiently so that outlet openings are provided between the lower end of the housing and each of said bafiles for the flow of material therethrough, the lower ends of said baffies extending downwardly in said housing at leastsubstantially to the lower end of said housing for substantially and vefiectively distributing granular material out of the housing in two flow paths each inclined with respect .to the vertical and the horizontal and each of which extends downwardly out of said housing and partially horizontally away from the respective outer side of said housing in general alignment with the upper side of the baffle from which the flow was delivered.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which the upper portion of the inner side of each baffie overlaps the lower portion of the other bafile as seen looking vertically through said housing.

3. The combination of claim 1 in which the lower ends of said bafiles extend beyond the lower end of said housing for extra side delivery effect.

4. The combination of claim 1 in which a funnel is provided in said housing and is attached thereto, said funnel is provided having a large upper entry end facing the upper end of said housing and a constricted lower end centrally disposed in said tubular housing and facing said bafiles and disposed sufiiciently close to said bafiles for effectively directing flow toward said baffles at a horizontal center of said housing, and the lower end of said funnel being disposed a substantial distance above the said point of criss-crossing of said baffies.

5. The combination of claim 1 in which each of said baffles has a notch in its said inner edge receiving the inner edge of the opposite one of said bafiies, said notches being disposed directly opposite each other.

6. The combination of claim 1 in which the outer edges of said baffles extend sufficiently closely to the adjacent inner surfaces of said housing for substantially preventing grain particles from passing therebetween.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 476,138 5/1892 Evans 259-180 X 846,751 3/1907 Melvin 259- 1,275,819 8/1918 Wright 259- X FOREIGN PATENTS 988,867 5/1961 France.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

F. R. HANDREN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DISTRIBUTING SPOUT FOR GRANULAR MATERIAL HAVING IN COMBINATION A TUBULAR HOUSING HAVING AN UPPER ENTRY END AND A LOWER OUTLET END, A PAIR OF ELONGATED BAFFLES DISPOSED ALONGSIDE EACH OTHER IN SAID HOUSING, SAID BAFFLES BEING DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID HOUSING WHEREBY SAID BAFFLES HAVE INNNER EDGES ADJACENT EACH OTHER AND HAVE OUTER EDGES ADJACENT SAID HOUSING, SAID BAFFLES EXTENDING INCLINEDLY WITH RESPECT TO THE VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL AND TRANSVERSELY OF EACH OTHER, SAID BAFFLES CRISSCROSSING AT A POINT AS SEEN IN A VERTICAL SECTION TAKEN THROUGH SAID SPOUT, MEANS ATTACHING EACH OF SAID BAFFLES TO SAID HOUSING, SAID BAFFLES EACH EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN COMPLETELY ACROSS SAID HOUSING TO ALLOW SUBSTANTIAL FLOW FROM SAID INLET TO BE DEFLECTED BY THE OTHER BAFFLE, THAT PORTION OF EACH BAFFLE WHICH IS AT THE SAME HORIZONTAL LEVEL WITH THE LOWER END OF SAID HOUSING BEING SPACED FROM THE LOWER END OF SAID HOUSING SUFFICIENTLY SO THAT OUTLET OPENINGS ARE PROVIDED BETWEEN THE LOWER END OF THE HOUSING AND EACH OF SAID BAFFLES FOR THE FLOW OF MATERIAL THERETHROUGH, THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID BAFFLES EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY IN SAID HOUSING AT LEAST SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE LOWER END OF SAID HOUSING FOR SUBSTANTIALLY AND EFFECTIVELY DISTRIBUTING GRANULAR MATERIAL OUT OF THE HOUSING IN TWO FLOW PATHS EACH INCLINED WITH RESPECT TO THE VERTICAL AND THE HORIZONTAL AND EACH OF WHICH EXTENDS DOWNWARDLY OUT OF SAID HOUSING AND PARTIALLY HORIZONTALLY AWAY FROM THE RESPECTIVE OUTER SIDE OF SAID HOUSING IN GENERAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE UPPER SIDE OF THE BAFFLE FROM WHICH THE FLOW WAS DELIVERED. 